Mineral Resources and their subsequent conversion to Ore Reserves are of key importance to mining companies. Their reliable estimation is critical to both the confidence in a feasibility study, and also to the day-to-day operation of a mine. Any company expecting to make sound investment or operational decisions must base the resource estimation on both relevant and reliable information.

Responding to our past delegates feedback and request of extending our Master Class, we are happy to bring you a 5 days Master Class in Geostatistics and Mineral Resource Estimation instead of the normal 4 days. We hope that this will add value to our delegates and enable them to solve the practical issues that they face in the field of geostatistics/mineral resource estimation.

This 5-day course will consist of two parts:-

Part 1 – Practical Geostatistics Workshop (2 days)

The first 2 days of the course will cover the practical aspect of Geostatistics. It will bring the delegates to in-depth understanding of the mysteries of ordinary kriging and its variants. This is a classroom course and includes manual exercises to reinforce understanding of the techniques. This composed of lectures augmented by practical PC/laptop-based exercises covering many different applications.

Case studies ranging from coal through base metals and iron ore to precious metals such as gold and platinum will be covered. All case studies are drawn from Dr Clark’s extensive worldwide experience.

Participants are advised to bring a laptop.

Part 2 – Mineral Resource Estimation Master Class (3 days)

Participants in this Master Class are expected to be conversant with Geostatisticals procedures or at least completed Practical Geostatistics Workshop.

Participants are invited to contribute discussion and ideas from their own practical experiences and to bring their own data for preliminary analysis during and after the workshop.

The workshop is aimed at professionals who are interested in discussing the real world application of resource estimationtechniques.

Using little or no mathematics, we will discuss case studies involving interpretation of everyday questions, such as:

Is my data homogeneous enough for geostatistical mapping?

Do I have trends in my data and (if so) what kind?

How do I interpret semi-variograms which deviate from the ideal shapes?

What Kriging method should I use (if any)?

Should I be using Kriging results at all?

Presentations will explain the underlying assumptions of resource estimation, the techniques currently used in the real world, the advantages and limitations of such techniques and the decision processes which underlie a successful resource or reserve estimation.

Discussion covering the advantages/limitations of different estimation methods

Reserve estimation and possible classification definitions

Geostatistical Simulations and Risk Assessment

Grade control

Drill hole spacing analysis

Dynamic Anisotropy estimation

Case Studies and BYO topics:

construction and interpretation of semi-variograms

identification of trends

confirmation of basic assumptions

outliers

choice of appropriate kriging techniques

practical applications of kriging

discussion of case studies from course participants

general discussion of case studies

simulation techniques

Attendee Profile

The course is carefully researched and designed for:

Geologists (Exploration, Production, Resource)

Mining Engineer / Engineering Manager

Mine Evaluator / Evaluation Manager

Mine Planners / Planning Manager

Mine Surveyors / Survey Manager

MRM Practitioners

Anyone with interest in the evaluation of mineral resources and reserves

What people said about us

These are what some of our delegates said about this course:

Some practical exercises were nicely put by the resource person based on her long term experience – Excellent! – Chief Geologist Evaluation, AngloGold Ashanti

The course was interesting and touches on important areas of resource estimation. The facilitator is good at answering questions. – Geologist, Goldfields Ghana

I testify on the excellent organization and provision of a world class expert in the domain we just learnt. Great time with very experienced trainer but duration was short. – SMFG –Societe Des Mines de fer de Guinee

The workshop is well organized and timing was very appropriate. Meeting authority in resource estimation like our trainer is a great privileged! – Regional Resource Manager, Kalsaka Mining

Summarizing decades worth of experience into 4 days may seem impossible but somehow the facilitator does this and still has time to make it a fund experience. – Project Geologist, Aureus Mining Ireland

Trainer Profile

The trainer is a professional Mining Engineer who specialized in the technical evaluation of mineral resources and reserves at all stages in the life of a mine. She has taught, researched and consulted in the field of geostatistics for over40 years and have wealthy experience in practical application of computer-based design and evaluation methods.

Possibly best known as the author of the introductory text “Practical Geostatistics” (1979), she now co-author of a more complete textbook “Practical Geostatistic” (2000).

With proven communication skills honed by training non-specialists, she has conducted numerous short courses on a regular basis to companies and educational institutions in four continents. She lectured for 11 years at the RoyalSchool of Mines, Imperial College, London, at the University of Witswatersrand in Johannesburg for 9 years and was visiting professor at Camborne School of Mines for 2 years. She joined Xstract Mining Consultant in July 2011 within Xstract’s Perth office, and also maintain her position as associated educator at Geostokos (Ecosse) Limited, an international consultancy company based in Central Scotland. Her recent consultancy assignments range from the evaluation of tantalite deposits in Mozambique to the study of protected sea-birds in the UK.

The trainer received her Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of London, M.Sc. in Biometrics from the University of Reading, B.Sc. in Pure and Applied Mathematics from StrathclydeUniversity and Diploma in Educational Broadcasting from the University of York. In addition to formal qualifications, she regularly attends relevant conferences to learn new methods, theory and applications. She also attends seminars and meetings of the various professional societies of which she have memberships.